Identification device.



F. A. DELABARRE.

IDENTIFIGATION DEVICE.

AIPLIGATION FILED mm. 15, 1908.

0 1 9 1 9 1 w J 0 .m n m P.

'IIIE Flt IDENTIFICATION DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 19, 1910.

Application filed June 15, 1908. Serial No. 438,583.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. DELABARRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Identification Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to new articles of manufacture intended both for ornamental and identification purposes, and particularly to a new method of making such or similar articles.

Briefly stated, my invention contemplates the adoption of the old and well known finger print identification idea, which idea broadly considered, has long been in vogue as a means of identification; and by my invention adapting it in a novel manner to articles of ornamentation, jewelry, and the like, and my invention has to do with a novel and practicable method of producing such articles.

Somewhat more specifically stated, the article which I have invented and which is not specifically claimed herein, this application being directed to the method of producing said article, is a reproduction in metal (base or rare) of the contour and surface markings of a portion of the human body, such as a digit, usually the tip thereof, and so forming the reproduction as to produce a pleasing and attractive article of ornamentation or personal adornment; the example used in this case for the purposes of illustration, being a culf-button, although it will be readily understood that I do not confine myself to any particular physical embodiment of the invention.

In order that the invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, to whom this disclosure is addressed, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings one embodiment of the invention and in said drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a cuff-button member embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section substantially on the line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of an impression mold suitable for carrying out some of the steps of the invention. Fig. 4: is a sectional view of the mold shown in Fig. l, substantially on the line 4% of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the impression mold in place during the initial step of practicing my invention. Fig. 6 is a view in section to illustrate the second step in practicing my invention. Fig. 7 is a view of a casting mold for practicing the third step of my invention. Fig. 8 is a view in section, illustrative of the final step of my invention.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, like numbers indicating like parts in the several views, and having reference particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the article therein shown comprises a replica of a portion of the digit, the ball portion thereof being used for purposes of illustration in the present case, although it will be understood that the invention extends to other portions of the human hand or body, and in this replica, which is formed of any desired metal, it will be observed that the ball portion of the digit is exactly and positively reproduced at 2, both in contour and surface configuration, this positive reproduction 2 being sur rounded by a suitable border or margin 3, of any desired shape or configuration, the elliptical form shown being one which lends itself readily to the central or relief portion of the article.

It will be observed that the article carries the exact conformation and surface configuration of the digit in positive form, and the surface configuration or tracings and the mound-like form of the ball of the digit gives a pleasing ornamentation to the article, as well as being a means of identifying with certainty the identity of the wearer, or the person whose digit has been reproduced, following the well known methods of identification of finger prints, although the present invention differs materially from what has been done heretofore in this line, for in the ordinary fingerprint identification work, the impressions procured are negatives and not the positive reproductions that I have devised.

It is obvious that various methods of securing these positive reproductions may be practiced but one convenient and practical method is that which I have invented and which will now be described.

Referring particularly to Figs. 3 to 5 which illustrate the first step of my new improved method of forming the article hereinbefore described, 4 indicates an impression mold which in the form herein shown comprises an open bottomed cup made up of a lapped hoop, preferably of spring metal, having at one end thereof an inwardly projecting fin, which serves to support a bottom plate 5 having any desired ornamentation, such as the rib 6 to form the proper matrix or mold for the final casting, and is so shaped and ornamented as to produce in the finished article the border or margin 3 heretofore referred to. The plate 5 is made removable in order that plates of different designs may be readily utilized in the same mold. This lapped spring hoop construction permits the mold to be distended slightly to insure the ready and safe removal of the negative impression casting which is formed in such impression mold, this negative impression being secured in the following manner: The impression cup mold t, contracted to its smallest dimensions, by means of any suitable means, such as elastic strap T secured to pins 8 on opposite ends of the hoop, is secured in any suitable manner upon the digit to be reproduced, as by elastic strap 9, as shown in Fig.

of the drawings, in which it will be seen that the ball of the digit or portion of the body to be reproduced projects upwardly through the hole or opening in this bottom plate of the mold 4:. The interior of the mold, as well as the ball of the digit, will be slightly oiled to give a non-adherent surface, and the mold will then be filled with a suitable impression material 10, such as plaster of paris and asbestos or any admixture of similar material (non-fusible in character) which will give a clear impression; the impression material being poured into the mold at about the consistency of thick cream, care being taken to exclude air bubbles, particularly at points where their presence would mar the impression to be taken. The impression material 10 is then allowed to set or harden, it having been found from experiment that from three to five minutes is a sufiicient time to secure this setting, after which the mold is carefully removed so as not to injure or destroy the negative imprint upon the impression material. The impression mold 4E will then be released and distended slightly so as to leave the block of impression material 10 free to be removed from the impression mold 4:. There will then have been secured an exact negative print of the part to be reproduced and from such negative print a positive reproduction in metal may be secured, preferably in the following manner.

The digit impression provided as above indicated, forms one of the cavity walls of the molds within which the article heretofore described is formed. To complete the cavity wall, I provide a fusible core 11, formed of wax or similar material, and which is of a size to provide for the thickness of the article as well as the configurafound to be an efficient one,

tion thereof in all respects excepting that produced by the impression previously made in the block 10, said impression having, of course, been provided by the original impression made in the nonfusible material. The core 11 may be made in any suitable manner and is preferably provided with a sprue 12, which may be formed centrally of the core as shown. The impression block 10 with the fusible core 11, will then be placed in a cup 13 as shown in Fig. 7, and the cup 13 will then be filled with a molding material, similar to that of which the impression block 10 is formed, and this will be allowed to set so solid homogeneous block 14 with the core 11 will result; the sprue stick 7 projecting from the top of the block as shown in Fig. 7, said block having preferably a coned depression 15 leading to the sprue hole. The impression block is now in condition for the final step of reproduction in metal, and the first act in carrying out this final step is to subjeet the block 1st and its core 11 to a temperature which will melt the wax, this melted wax being drained cleanly from the interior of the block 1%, thereby completing the cavity wall. When this is done, molten metal may be introduced through the sprue hole in the block 14: to the impression chamher or cavity in any desired way, and as it is obvious that the well known methods of casting may be employed for this final step I do not confine myself to any particular manner of introducing the molten metal, the only requisite being that it be introduced so as to secure a complete filling of the mold, without objectionable blow holes, in order that the impressions may be sharp and clear, and I have found that the introduction of metal under the action of centrifugal force or under pressure is favorable to the desired results.

lVhile the method which I have described of forming this novel invention has been it is obvious that other methods such as electro-deposition may be utilized for producing the article.

.Vhile I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my invention, and that the best now known to me, I wish it to be understood that I regard all such variations and expedients as are within the skill of the mechanican as within the range of my invention, and I do not, therefore, limit myself to the details of the disclosure above given except so far as I am limited by the prior art to which the invention belongs.

What I claim is 1. The method of forming molds for obtaining a positive reproduction of objects, which consists in forming a negative impression of non-fusible material to produce a portion of the cavity wall, completing that a final and" the cavity configuration by a fusible core, completing the cavity wall by mold material, and destroying the fusible core.

2. The method of procuring positive reproductions of digit conformation, which consists in securing a negative impression of such conformation, positioning a core of readily fusible material on said impression, inclosing such fusible material in a quicksetting mold material in a manner to retain the negative impression as a portion of a cavity wall, melti g out such fusible material from the molds of the block thus formed, and then filling the mold with metal.

3. The method of procuring reproductions, which consists in making a negative impression of the thing to be reproduced, forming a cavity configuration of which the impression forms a part by the use of a fusible material, surrounding the cavity Walls by a refractory material, melting such fusible material from the refractory mold block thus formed, and then filling the mold with metal.

4:- The method of procuring positive ornamental reproductions of digit conformation, which consists in making a negative impression of such conformation within a decorative margin or border, forming a mold having a cavity of which the impression block and the border form a part of the cavity wall, and forming a metal replica of the bordered digit conformation from such negative.

The method of procuring positive ornamental reproductions of digit conformation, which consists in making a negative impression of such conformation centrally of a decorative margin or border, positioning a fusible core on said impression and border, completing the cavity wall by the use of refractory material, melting the fusible core out of the refractory mold thus formed, and finally filling the mold with metal.

6. The method of procuring positive reproductions of digit conformation, which consists in pouring a plastic material over the surface to be reproduced, allowing such material to harden to form a negative impression, positioning a fusible core on said negative impression. completing the cavity walls of a sprued block of refractory material, melting out the fusible core from the mold thus formed, and finally filling the mold with metal.

7. The method of procuring positive reproduction of digit conformation, which consists in securing an open-bottom mold on the digit, filling said mold with a quick-setting plastic material, removing the negative impression block thus formed, positioning a readily fusible core on said impression block, inclosing the impression block and fusible core in a sprued block of refractory material, removing the fusible core, and finally filling the mold with metal.

8. The method of procuring reproductions which consists in forming a cavity producing element on non-fusible and fusible materials, each of the members of the twopart element carrying portions of the configuration of the thing to be reproduced, completing the cavity walls by inclosing the fusible material within the mold material, removing the fusible material from the mold, and finally filling the mold thus formed with metal.

9. The method of procuring a positive reproduction of digit conformation, which consists in forming a mold block directly from the object to be reproduced, to produce a portion of the cavity wall, then completing the cavity configuration by a fusible core, then completing the cavity walls by the mold material, then destroying the fusible core, and finally forming a positive metallic reproduction from such cavity.

10. The method of procuring a positive reproduction of digit conformation, which consists in forming a negative impression from such conformation, adding a fusible cavity former to form a composite impression block, completing the cavity walls by mold material, then removing the fusible part of the impression block, and finally forming a positive metallic reproduction from the negative impression.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set I my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FRANK A. DELABARRE. lVitnesses:

EDWARD N. LACEY, JOHN F. LEAHY. 

